A FREE running event for youngsters in Harwich is about to celebrate its 200th edition.

Cliff Park Junior Parkrun first started in 2018 and the 200th event will take place on Sunday.

The two-kilometre run for children aged between four and 14 is held at the Cliff Park at 9am every Sunday.

More than 500 youngsters have taken part in the event which is run entirely by volunteers.

Volunteer Rhia Dalby said: “It’s great to provide families somewhere free to go where they can socialise in the park and do something fun.

“We’ve had dads with their young children skipping the whole route and laughing and giggling. I think those moments are so important.”

She thanked event director Kris Dalby who has been involved since the beginning, and volunteer Trevor Mayhew, lovingly known as Grandpa Parkrun, who has given up almost every Sunday morning since the first event.

“He high-fives the children and will chat to them and make them feel important, and they keep coming back because of that,” Rhia added.

A five-kilometre Parkrun event for adults, which has attracted almost 5,000 participants since it started, is also held at Cliff Park on Saturdays at 9am.